Coronation
by DarthTindalus
Summary: When we are reintroduced to clone trooper Jesse, he now holds the rank of ARC trooper. This is the story of how he achieved such a prestigious position. Post-season 6/The Lost Missions. Rated T for violence.
1. The Airbase

"This is never gonna work," Jesse muttered under his breath. To his left, holding the ticking time bomb in his hands, Wick let out an audible groan, probably to get on his squadmate's nerves. Actually, no; _definitely _to get on his nerves.

"Stow it, Jesse," the 501st Legion's demolitions expert grunted in between bated breaths as he slowly tapped keys on the pad placed on the side of the bomb. "This is definitely gonna work. You need to have more faith."

A chuckle, muffled by the helmet's filters, escaped Jesse's lips. "_Faith. _Wick, I've never seen you in work before. Rex recommended you, so I agreed to take you along with me." To jokingly insult his companion, Jesse added, "Hope I don't regret it."

"Don't worry, you won't."

Jesse and Wick were part of a six-man squad of clone troopers, dispatched by General Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex to infiltrate a droid outpost on Devaron. While Skywalker and Rex were engaging in a full-on firefight with Separatist forces near the entrance into the Devarionian capitol, Jesse was to lead this small squad behind enemy lines and take out the Separatists' airbase, where they were currently hidden. The other four clone troopers were all posted as guards, keeping watch over the entrances into the airbase. More specifically, into the hangar bay, where Jesse and Wick were huddled together, trying to arm the time bomb.

Wick uttered a curse in Mando'a, and Jesse cut in. "Did you have to attach it to the ship _before _you triggered it?"

"Look, you said this needed to be a quick op. With all those commando droids prowling the corridors, we wouldn't want to get caught off-guard now, would we?"

The clone's helmet tilted to the side, the T-visor glinting in the artificial light as he stared at Jesse. Sighing, Jesse rolled his eyes and his helmeted head along with them. "Fine, fine." He thumped Wick across the arm, getting to his feet. "I'll go check the door. Call me if you need anything."

"Will do," Wick responded, returning his gaze to the time bomb.

Jogging, Jesse approached one of the several doors into the hangar bay. It had been sealed from within, and the trooper standing guard, Calex, was pressed against the wall, DC-15A held in his hands tightly. "Anything?" Jesse asked, figuring the answer.

"No, sir," Calex responded, the blue stripes of the 501st reflecting off his pristine white armor. Almost all of the troops in Jesse's squad were rookies; the 501st had really taken a beating in recent battles. Umbara took Hardcase and Dogma, in a manner of speaking. Tup died after gunning down Jedi Master Tiplar, and Fives was killed on Coruscant when he drew a blaster on Commander Fox. Jesse stilled his mind, not wanting such thoughts to plague his judgement, especially on such critical a mission.

"How's Wick coming along?"

"All right, I guess. He's got the bomb attached and now he's trying to trigger it."

"Why didn't he try to trigger it before attaching it?"

_I like this kid. _"Didn't have time. He needed to hurry in case any droids stumbled upon us."

Calex nodded. Probably didn't want to speak poorly of his brother; Wick was sort of a "legend" in the 501st's younger ranks. It puzzled Jesse, Kix, and a few other veterans, since he had only served in maybe five missions. He had earned Captain Rex's approval as a competent demolitions expert, but did all that really warrant a fan base, especially when it was made up entirely of troopers who he held seniority over with, what, five missions?

Jesse turned, glancing over to another door where it was manned by another guard. Gesturing with a flat, opened hand, Jesse waited until the trooper, Tib, returned the signal. Jesse turned back as an explosion sounded in the distance. Moving towards the edge of the hangar, slowly, Jesse glanced through the ray shield and saw a large tower toppling over. White-armored figures hovered in the air, and Jesse grinned. 501st jet troopers. "Looks like General Skywalker and Captain Rex are really handing it to the Seppies," he said loud enough so Calex could hear him.

Suddenly, a loud _"Jesse!" _caused the clone in question to turn and double over towards the droid gunship, where Wick was crawling from. As he stood up, Jesse got a good look at his custom paint job. In the usual 501st colors, blue flames licked above the clone's T-visor, and thick blue stripes ran down his arms, legs, and chest armor. "Got it planted. Ready to blow."

"Good." Jesse lifted his left arm and spoke into his comlink. "This is Jesse. Infiltration team, rendezvous at door one. We're outta here." He turned and moved towards the door, where he, Calex, and Wick waited until they were joined in a few short minutes by the other half of the team.

"Bomb planted?" one of them, a trooper named Lash, asked. Wick nodded an affirmative as Jesse shouldered his blaster.

"We'd better move. Jak, contact Hawk once we clear the airbase. When he picks us up, detonate the bomb, Wick."

Jesse could almost see the grin beneath Wick's facemask as he said, "With pleasure, sir."


	2. The Mission

**Chapter 2 - "The Mission"**

The six clones came to a stop outside the airbase. Jesse lowered his DC-15A, glancing over his shoulder to Jak. "Contact Hawk," he barked as Lash and Wick shouldered their blasters, dropping to their knees to secure the area. Jak nodded, lifting up his comlink to try and reach the squad's evac.

Calex drew close to Jesse, glancing around nervously. "What next, sir?"

"Mission's pretty much done now," Jesse replied with a shrug. "Hawk will pick us up and drop us off at the staging area, where we'll rendezvous with the general and Captain Rex. Then we'll get our next orders and carry them out." He could see Calex shift a little and answered before he could even ask. "No, I don't have any idea what our next mission is. Probably just finish taking the capitol with the main force."

Calex nodded and turned back as Jak approached. "I just contacted Hawk, sir. He's inbound on the gunship now."

"Good." Jesse turned and moved towards Wick, flanked by Calex, Jak, and the sixth man of the squad, Korto. "Anything?"

"Negative. At least, nothing out of the ordinary. No droids marching, no techs. Honestly, it's a little unsettling. There's _no _movement." A brief pause, then, "Almost like we're all alone here."

A distant explosion thundered, and Jesse chuckled. "Then emthat /embrings you back to the war."

Wick nodded absentmindedly, before clanking of metal sounded behind the troopers. "That isn't good," Lash muttered, turning around with his blaster in hand. "Behind us!" he shouted, and the clones all whirled around.

Two platoons of battle droids were exiting the airbase corridor, blasters gripped tightly in their clawed hands. "Look, clones!" the lead droid, a sergeant marked in green, announced. "Blast them!"

Before the droids could open fire, the clones squeezed the triggers of their blasters, filling the air with blue laserfire. The blasts tore through the first row of droids, including the sergeant. With shrieks the droids popped apart, stray limbs adorning the deck. "Find cover!" Jesse yelled, backing away as he fired repeatedly with his carbine. More droids collapsed before they realized it was in their best interest to also seek cover from their enemies' fire. The droids backed away until the laser blasts became scarcer, and fewer droids fell.

"That evac better get here soon," Wick yelled, "or else there'll be nothing left to save!"

Jesse couldn't agree more. Peeking from behind cover, the squad leader opened fire. Two more droids fell before another peeked out, firing wildly. One stray shot caught Lash in the arm. Grunting in pain, he doubled over, gripping the pocked armor and examining it. "How bad is it?" Jesse asked, dropping down on his knees and glancing in Lash's direction.

"Not too bad," he got out, peeling the plate back. The body glove beneath was broken and the skin scorched, but Jesse had seen much, much worse.

"Yeah, Kix can fix that up with a bacta patch back at camp." Giving the trooper a nod, Jesse added, "You'll be fine."

Lash responded with a nod of his own, before he glanced up. "Look, sir-our evac has arrived."

Jesse turned around to catch sight of a LAAT gunship hovering over the empty landing pad. "Good old Hawk," he muttered with a grin. "All right, men, ready up. Get onto that gunship!"

Jesse climbed back to his feet and opened fire at the droids, buying his men time to move towards the gunship. The LAAT settled down on the pad and the doors opened, revealing four blue-striped 501st Legion clone troopers. Blaster rifles clutched tightly, the troopers opened fire, and one of the droids screamed something before his head was blasted off. Calex helped Lash to the gunship first, covered by Jak, who was providing fire as he moved slowly behind his two brothers. Then Wick and Korto moved behind them, and Jesse finished the escape, climbing into the gunship. "All aboard!" one of the troopers manning the gunship shouted into the ship's comm, and the doors latched closed.

"Wick," Jesse said, causing the clone in question to glance up.

"Sir?"

"Do your thing." Wick let out a chuckle as he reached to his belt and removed the detonator's trigger, squeezing it hard. An explosion sounded in the not-so-distant airbase, and they heard a whistle through the comm.

"Beautiful sight, boys," the pilot Hawk's voice sounded.

Jesse let out a breath of fresh air, a sigh of relief, as the other troopers spoke amongst themselves. Letting his blaster dangle at his side, Jesse reached up with his left hand and removed the helmet over his head, revealing a face that bore the same Republic emblem as his helmet, albeit positioned slightly different. "Tough fight, huh?" the rescuing trooper asked, lowering his blaster.

"Yeah," Jesse said softly, looking at his men. "Tough fight."

* * *

Once Hawk had landed the gunship, the troopers had spilled out, dispersing in different directions. Korto and Calex helped Lash to the medical center, where he would be treated by the Republic medical droids on the scene. Jesse dismissed Wick and Jak to the mess hall, their barracks, or wherever they needed to go before he made his way to the command center. Inside, hunched over a holotable displaying a blue-hued map of the Devaronian capitol, were Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex, his helmet removed and cradled under his right arm.

"General Skywalker," Jesse greeted, nodding to Rex. "Captain."

"Jesse," Rex responded with a nod. "Welcome back."

"I trust the mission went well?" Anakin asked, arms crossed.

"Yes, sir. We destroyed the airbase, with no casualties. Lash was blasted in the arm, but he's being patched up." Placing his helmet on a bench, Jesse glanced over, arching an eyebrow. "How about your mission?"

Anakin and Rex exchanged a glance before Rex spoke up. "It . . . could have gone better."

_Oh._ "I see. What's our next move then?"

It was Anakin who took over for Rex. "Rex and I will lead the 501st back to the main capitol. General Kenobi is pushing along another route, and he should supply us with fresh troops. The 212th will give us a good shot at taking the capitol from the Separatists."

"Your mission is different, however," Rex cut in. "You'll take a small squad to a neighboring city. A few Devaronians have decided the conflict is a good enough cover to allow them the time they need to become their own personal warlords. One of them, some revolutionary named Gor Salax, has taken over this city and led an attack on one of our patrols. Killed 'em all. He's taken the locals all captive, and we need to get in there, free the locals, and dispatch Salax-in any way that is presented to you."

Jesse nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Who'll be going with me?"

"Kix and four other troopers will join you and the men who helped you destroy the airbase. That is, assuming they did their job well?"

"Very well. Aside from a few attitude adjustments, I'd say they're all great soldiers." At the mention of "attitude adjustments," a grin split Rex's lips.

"I take it that'd be Wick?"

"You know it, sir."

Anakin gestured to both clones. "Look, you two can hash out your theories on adjusting Wick's attitude later. Right now we've got a battle to win." Grinning, he turned to Jesse. "Kix is waiting for you at the medbay. I think he's patching up your injured man."

"Understood, General Skywalker. We'll keep you posted," Jesse replied, clamping his helmet over his head and turning on his heel, striding from the command center.


End file.
